1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation system configured by connecting two or more image formation devices comprising a fixing device for fixing an unfixed development image to a record medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image formation device using an electrophotographic method, a development image made of coloring particles formed on a photoconductor is transferred to a record medium such as paper and an unfixed development image adhering to the record medium is fixed to the record medium by a fixing device and thereby an image is obtained.
As a method for fixing an unfixed development image on a record medium, a fixing device called a thermal roller fixing method in which a heat source is had in the inside and a toner image is brought into direct contact with a heating roller made of metal material heated to a temperature enough to melt toner and simultaneously a pressure is applied by a pressurizing roller and fixing is performed by inserting a record medium between both the rollers is used.
In such an image formation device, a tandem type image formation system for disposing a joint path for transporting a record medium between plural image formation devices and forming an image is proposed.
In the tandem type image formation system, using coloring particles of different colors every each image formation device, images of plural colors can be formed, or an image of one side of the record medium can be formed by the first image formation device and an image of the back side of the record medium can be formed by the next image formation device.
In the tandem type image formation system, in a fixing process by image formation of only one side of the record medium, the record medium passes between both the rollers in a state in which the side to which a toner image is transferred makes contact with a heating roller in the first image formation device and the second image formation device and at this time, a slight amount of toner electrostatically adheres to a surface of the heating roller. Generally, in the heating roller, a cleaning web impregnated with silicone oil etc. is arranged so as to make sliding contact with the surface of the heating roller in order to ensure release characteristics of the heating roller and the toner on the record medium.
This cleaning web is non-woven fabric and makes sliding contact with the surface of the heating roller and thereby, silicone oil gradually seeps from the inside and the oil is applied to the heating roller and simultaneously by rubbing action, a slight amount of toner adhering to the surface of the heating roller is captured by the non-woven fabric and the cleaning web has action of cleaning the surface of the heating roller.